The Wisdom of Fireflies
by Crystilia Aerosine
Summary: I'd never seen something so beautiful, and for once I just let myself be human. FFVII/FFVIII crossover, reason for being posted in here is explained inside. Pairing inside, but expect yaoi, side pairings, fluff, tears, and fireflies. R&R!
1. Black Holes

**Ok well this is ANOTHER chapter story, but well it's _begging_to be written. As an update for Modern Warfare or Harem readers, those should be updated this weekend. I'm in the midst of NaNoWriMo, and I just had a birthday! Woo! **

**This is a FFVII/FFVIII crossover, but I will not be posting it in the crossover section. I know that this is strange, but I really am just thinking as a reader here too. I never check that section and it pales in comparison, so I'll be posting it in the FFVII section, just because it'll get more attention like that.**

**It's going to be a, wait for it, Cloud/Seifer/Squall* pairing. O_o Weird right? Well the Squall part is optional, but I'm pretty sure he'll end up in there. I'm not sure on any side pairings yet, and I have little to no FFVIII experience. PLEASE point out plot holes, they will be almost inevitable.**

**This story is taking a huge new turn for me in my writing career. It'll have some deep emotions in there, mostly because it was inspired by the song _Fireflies by Owl City_. It'd be great for you to listen to that to get an idea of the emotion to come in the story. The plot will start about Cloud, turn to Cloud/Seifer, and should end in Cloud/Seifer/Squall. It's very Seifer heavy and a lot of the emotions come from him, it's a creative look into his character, which will likely leave him OOC a bit.**

**Ahh well the ranting ends, I hope you enjoy. Please R&R!****

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**The Wisdom of Fireflies**

**Black Hole**

It was shocking to have a black hole open up underneath my feet. At least I assume it was a black hole. Sephiroth just lifted a hand suddenly this portal swallowed us whole. We fell together, swords at the ready, and it was immediately dark. But oddly enough, the fall wasn't what was frightening. It was the landing, or the lack there of. We settled back onto the ground without so much as a tremor in our balance. It seemed like a useless attack but a cursory look around told me otherwise. No, we are standing in the middle of a room filled with people. The room is huge with a high, vaulted ceiling. The people all look at us with strange and somewhat frightened stares. Off to my left, a regal yet terrifying black haired woman stands with a very tall, blond male. To the right, there is a larger group of people, all fighters if the weapons and battle stances are anything to go by. The boy in front of their group, young with icy-glazed brown hair and even colder blue-slate eyes, stands with a weird sword up and ready to fight with the blond to my left.

It's immediately obvious that the blond is an impatient one. "Well who the _hell _are you two? Are you calling in back-up Leonhart?"

The leader on the right tenses and stands up straighter. He gives an award winning glare that I have to admit would make Rufus ShinRa proud. I have to flick my gaze back to Sephiroth to make sure he isn't preparing to kill me while I'm distracted, but oddly enough, he's just as absorbed in the conflict as I am, giving me the chance to look back to the boy.

"Not likely," and that was it. I felt a small swell of camaraderie with the boy, who, like myself, found pleasure in concise wording. The blond, however, isn't happy and instantly flares in anger. It's drenched pretty quickly by the woman, who contrary to her frightening looks, speaks out in a very soft but cold voice.

"Introduce yourselves, mortals. You encroach on the land belonging to the most powerful sorceress to ever live. I suggest you make your goals known quickly before I'm tempted to have my Knight remove your head from your shoulders," she sneers in our direction. I flinch at the part describing us as mortals, and I look forward at Sephiroth, who is already turning menacingly towards the daft woman.

"_Mortals_? Hn, you clearly have no idea to whom you are speaking wretch. Show more respect for your superiors, whether from your own pathetic excuse for a planet or from other, more capable worlds," it was all he said as he looked at me again. The woman twitches visibly and raises a hand in the direction of the blond, who I gather is her "Knight".

"You got it." It was the blond who spoke as he advanced forward. The boy to my right stiffens further, a great feat considering he already looked like he was suffering from rigor mortis. The blond stalked closer whilst hefting up a larger and slightly different version of the kind of sword the boy on my right was carrying. It didn't take long to discern he was _way_ too weak to be fighting us. Me _or_Sephiroth. So I took the initiative and began to attack Sephiroth, who in turn only smirked my way. I was apprehensive already, but the smirk put me on edge. And for good reason as he suddenly disappeared in a burst of black feathers.

I screech to a halt in confusion and reach out a hand, catching a single feather. "Fuck," I murmured to myself. The blond who was approaching stops about two feet away and looks at the place where Sephiroth once was. His whistle of bewilderment galvanizes me into action. I spin and grab him by the shirt, shoving him quickly against one of the flat walls. And immediately the room is silent, even more so than before. The woman's eyes grow wide for a second before she practically evaporates into black smoke. The blond one looks unbelievably perplexed and dismayed by her leaving him to more or less die. I cough and bring his attention back to me. He struggles for a moment, but quickly realizes, from my unmoving stance, that I'm at least a hundred times stronger. It proabably couldn't hurt to have such a large sword too.

"Who are you? Where are we? Who was she? And are you evil in any sense of the word? Answer all those questions and you'll be one step closer to surviving." Apparently, my tactic, a quick decision, was the right one. He starts to work out a response instantaneously.

"Seifer Almasy, former SeeD cadet for Balamb Garden. Ultimecia's castle. Ultimecia, the greatest sorceress of all time. And yeah I'm evil, but please don't kill me." I had to refrain from smiling as I realized he was still trying to pry my hand from his shirt, and he was failing pretty hard.

"Ultimecia's castle, hmm? Unfortunately, I seem to be on the wrong planet. What am I going to have to do to get some help in getting home?" The disbelieving stare was enough to tell me he wasn't going to be any help, but I couldn't help but feel something tugging at my heart for the boy. There is a hazy look in his eye, a strong characteristic of mind control. I had to reevaluate his appearance. He kind of looked like a stronger Rufus ShinRa with green eyes. When I met his eyes I felt something snap. He's terrified and slowly gaining lucidity. It's enough to make me let him go. And he runs. Runs right out the door, much to the obvious displeasure of the remaining people.

A strangely dressed man with a large gun is the first to speak. "Aw now why did ya have to go an' let'im go? He's a wanted man, ya know?"

I look at him evenly, smile chillingly, and respond, "No I don't know. Now I'm in need of assistance, and I have a feeling we might be able to help each other." The group looks between each other nervously but the leader looks intrigued. He looks me in the eye and smiles just as coldly. "Then let's negotiate."


	2. Negotiation Table

**Ok well unlike other stories this one doesn't have a set chapter length, such as 2k words, yet. Meaning the length will fluctuate. **

**So I've been reading up on FFVII, and I already had one plot hole. Yay! Well I tried to fix it as best I could, but this story is officially AU. And we'll be seeing Seifer again very soon.**

**Question: How do you pronounce SeeD? "Seed", "C.D.", or ".D"? I've been saying "C.D.", mostly because "Seed" sounds weird. But I want to know. :D **

**R&R!**

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Negotiation Table

I nod at the boy and follow them out of the castle, no one is speaking at this point and the air is somewhat tense. First Tsurugi was in its holsters on my back, the sheer size of the sword an intimidating insurance to keep people from being too forward. Once outside the castle, I can see that the entire group is slightly worried about something. They're all looking around like something was going to happen. I spare a glace around the area; it's desolate and built on a terrace on the side of a mountain. The leader is frowning and looking skyward. I almost want to ask what's going on, but a dramatic shift in the world around me is enough to shut me up. Slowly the world melted away and left us in the middle of some city. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the blond, Seifer, hiding and watching as the world changes. As soon as we're in a city he ducks out and leaves quietly.

There's a collective sigh of relief as it appears we've returned to the "real" world. All eyes are on us as a crowd of people surround the area where we stand. The leader pulls out a PHS, or whatever they call them here, and calls someone. I can hear him murmuring into the phone, almost too softly for even me to hear. The next thing I know there's a giant floating ship hovering over head. The leader pauses in his conversation and looks up. There's a flicker of surprise, perhaps at the fact the ship arrived so quickly, but it subsides.

It wasn't ten minutes later that we'd boarded and now sat around a large table with all eyes back on me. I force a composed look and assume my "Sephiroth mode", or so it was once affectionately dubbed by Zack. My eyebrow quirks upward in a blatant display of expectancy. It was enough because the leader begins to speak immediately.

"My name is Squall Leonhart. I'm a SeeD from Balamb Garden, which you are on right now. These are my friends. Rinoa Heartilly, Selphie Tilmitt, Irvine Kinneas, Zell Dincht, and Quistis Trepe. The man you saw earlier was a traitor from this Garden, Seifer Almasy," his voice was very cool and collected but I'd already found two cracks into which I could pry. I raised a hand and stopped the potential monologue.

"I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER from ShinRa on Gaia, my planet. The silver haired man you saw is Sephiroth, the deranged ex-SOLDIER General of the ShinRa army. He sent us both here and I have to find a way back, and kill him quickly before he does irreparable damage to your planet. Back to you. You speak of this Seifer in a very emotionally attached way, he's a former friend?" The entire group more or less sputters as I ask the question, giving me plenty of an answer, but I still wait for Squall to respond.

He frowns deeply and answers just as coolly as before, "Not a friend. He's an old rival." He gestures to the scar on his face, one mirrored in Seifer. "We gave these to each other. He is my equal in battle, but he betrayed the Garden and therefore his life is forfeit."

Now it's my turn to frown. Forfeit? I hold down a shudder at the prospect of having walked into _another_corrupt military facility. But the look in Squall's eyes is enough to tell me otherwise. I can practically read the anguish in his heart right through those seemingly dead, blue eyes. Rival, hmm? Not likely. I take the chance to scan the people while Squall quickly resumes his composure. I'm grateful for the ShinRa training in reading power levels out of battle. I can see that none of the people in the room are as physically strong as even Elena, whose mako enhancement is at an all time low. But compared to normal, non-enhanced people, like Tifa, these people are very high above the average strength levels. Squall is about as strong as Zack would be without the mako, strong but not strong enough to face a SOLDIER. None the less I'm impressed by their training, in particular the sharpshooter eyes on the man known as Irvine. I can tell they've all got special qualities that make them an effective group.

My eyes land on the girl sitting next to Squall and my frown deepens. She looks too much like Tifa. The long brown-black hair and dark eyes are so familiar that I have to shake my head slightly to clear my best friend's image from my mind. I look a little closer and take note of the fact that this girl, Rinoa, is much more "girly" than Tifa, who prefers black leather to soft cashmere. Tifa also doesn't use make-up often, almost never, as she's never needed it, the woman before me is wearing a foundation and eye make-up, albeit a light coating of both, but I felt that would be one point for Tifa if comparing their beauty.

I almost have to shake myself again as I refocus on Squall who just cleared his throat rather noisily for someone I can already see is fairly taciturn. Rinoa is blushing, most likely from my staring, and Squall is glaring slightly. I smirk a bit and raise a hand in apology.

"You'll have to excuse the staring. I over analyze everything and everyone, and your girlfriend looks like a very good friend of mine." I don't know why I feel like I have to prove it, but I pull a small picture of Tifa out of my wallet and slide it across the table. It was the picture we took together out on a picnic with the kids. Tifa was smiling and joyful, but I was off to the side, frowning. I smile softly now in memory. I never gave her what she deserved. I looked back to the scene to see the entire table gathered around the picture and flicking their gazes from Tifa's image to Rinoa. Squall just stares at the picture and blushes so thinly that at first I think my mako-enhanced eyes are fooling me or exaggerating again.

His eyes raise and mine meet his. The air is suddenly electric with tension. The group is oblivious as we engage in a harmless staring match. I smirk slightly as I realize just how androgynous and pretty he is. At least he doesn't have a name suited better for a woman, and at least I have enough muscle to distinctly express my gender.

The stare feels like two predators staring each other down in an attempt to make the other prey, and as Squall relents and lowers his eyes, I, the wolf, have the satisfaction of beating this proud lion. I've always been a dog person anyway. However my gloating is cut short as I backtrack and try to remember why I think of him as a lion. I scan his appearance again and my eyes land on a pendant around his neck, a metal lion. Leonhart the lion, how fitting.

"You said that this Sephiroth sent you both here and that he was dangerous. What do you think his motives were?" Squall is the one to speak again, showing a growing pattern of leadership in the boy. I assume my business façade again and pack away all the silly thoughts.

"Yeah, he's insane and driven to destroy planets. It's possible that he's trying to isolate me from my friends and what he thinks is my power source. He probably thinks he's weakening me by sending us here, but he forgets we draw our main power from the same source, a type of cells injected into both of us during experiments preformed by an even more insane scientist. Consequently, it's these cells that make him insane, which means I can be just as dangerous, but I'd like to think that I've gained some immunity against them. Which leads me to another theory, he could have taken me here to cut me off from that immunity and make it harder for me to fight the cells. No matter the reason, however, it can't be good. I'll need some help in locating and killing him, and getting home to my planet. Do you happen to have a map of the star system that we're located in?"

Squall nods slightly and looks at Selphie. She instantly perks up and cries out, "I'm on it, boss!" To which Squall replies with pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head.

I smile again, this time at the young girl who reminds me of Yuffie. She scampers off to a computer and pulls up a star system map on a projector. I look at the map and am instantly relieved to recognize Gaia and her three moons two planets up from the one marked as this planet, Radiant Garden.

Now it's all about finding a way back.


	3. Floating Garden

**Oh I'm on a roll. Not only have I posted three in three days. I've just posted a Seifer/Squall type video on youtube. If you're interested, i'm CrystiliaAerosine there too. Modern Warfare _has_ to be updated today.  
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**I wanna get Cloud and Seifer back in the same room so badly. So the beginning of this story will be taking small time skips of about ten-twenty minutes between chapters. **

**I have to say that my explanation for Shiva's presence on both planets is kick ass. And it actually makes quite a bit of sense. Well I hope so at least. Oh and I'm naming the planet Radiant Garden because it lacks a name, and not only does Squall/Leon have KH2 connections with Radiant Garden, but I felt it was fitting because the military facilities are called Gardens. :D**

**Dragi - **Thank you for your reviews :D! I'm glad you find it interesting so far.

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Floating Garden**

The rest of the meeting went smoothly with all of us agreeing that I needed to be taken on a tour of Balamb Garden. Everyone wanted to come along and this left us wandering the halls of the large floating base. The size of the ship reminds me of _The Shera_, Cid's prized possession, but I can already tell that, as a ship, _The Shera_ is much more sophisticated. Already I'm figuring out that this planet is at least a couple centuries behind ours, but maybe that's a good thing. No mako pollution, plenty of vegetation, clean water, and no tyrannical leaders controlling the globe, at least not yet. They tell me that another ship like this one, Galbadia Garden is trying to take over the planet because they're being controlled by the sorceress Ultimecia. It's not surprising, but it's obviously a sore subject for the tight-knit group leading me around.

Squall has been on edge since our staring match earlier and I can't help but feel a little smug about it, probably a sign that I've been drinking with Reno too often. I halt my musing as we reach the first destination, the Headmaster's office. Squall leads us inside and there is a man sitting at a desk, reading over a long report and frowning so deeply that he must be creating wrinkles by the second.

"Cid." The man looks up as he's addressed by Squall. He scans his eyes over the group with a mixture of hope and terror that I can't explain, but, as Squall shakes his head slightly, it melts away. Finally his eyes land on me and I meet them fearlessly, and the result involves a slight cringe on his part. He stands somewhat clumsily, and extends a hand in my direction.

"I'm Cid Kramer, the Headmaster of Balamb Garden. And you would be?" I shake his hand, careful not to squeeze as it's obvious that the man could be in better physical shape. The grip was still apparently strong as Cid shakes his hand slightly when he's withdrawn it. "My, my what a strong boy." I nearly smirk at being called a boy again. With my cells I could be in my forties and still look like a twenty-one year old.

"I'm Cloud Strife, ex-SOLDIER for the ShinRa army on the planet Gaia. I was transported here by an enemy and now I need to get back," I keep the introduction short and calm, not looking to frighten the man or contradict the story I told the rest of them. If I mentioned that I was barely considered human, it could result in panic and unwillingness to help. So I figure it best to play the innocent protagonist from a neighboring world. The story was still surprising to the man as his eyebrows shot straight up.

"From another planet? What would you be doing here? How interesting." I nod at him, having predicted the shocked response. It wasn't every day that an alien came crashing down on your planet. Thank Shiva, or we'd have hundreds of Jenovas by now. Thinking of Shiva causes me to look down at my bangle wear her materia resides. The fear of not being able to use materia here causes me to send a very faint current of power to her, and I'm relieved to feel the materia grow cold in preparation for summoning. At least I have materia.

A quick jerk from Squall distracts me and I turn sharply towards him, unconsciously ready for an attack. But the boy doesn't attack; in fact he's got a strange look of concentration on his face. The group grows worried almost instantly.

"Squall? Are you alright?" It was one called Zell, with the tattoo, who spoke out first. Squall just shakes his head and raises a hand to his temple. Shiva pulses in her materia and suddenly I understand.

"You have summons here," it was a statement not a question, but somehow I still got a confused look. Maybe they're not called summons here. "Shiva, Ice Queen." That gets a response from Squall who has an unbridled look of shock on his face. So I was right.

"Yes, we call them Guardian Forces. Shiva is junctioned to me. You can summon her too?" I nod at Squall and bring a hand to my bangle. I pull her materia out of the bangle and holds it up. The entire group looks on in awe as I channel power to it, asking her not to summon with grandiose whirlwinds this time. She agrees and she is summoned only a few feet away, the Ice Queen in all her glory. Squall's eyes are wide as she appears, and Shiva looks from person to person.

Her eyes land on me first, smiling reaching out a hand. She loves to be summoned and she knows she's my favorite summon. I let her run her hand through my hair, enjoying the cool skin of the Ice Goddess.

"Hello Shiva. How have you been?" She smiles wider and presses a kiss to my hair, causing my soft hair to almost freeze.

"I've been fine, my lovely wolf. Ah!" Her eyes fall on Squall who is looking at her in confusion, more so than everyone else around him. She walks forward, forgetting about me, and pulls Squall into a hug. "My little lion!" Squall just sighs and lays his head on her breast as she strokes his hair like she did mine. I smile as his hair _does_ freeze, snowflakes raining down on him. She stays content in petting Squall for the moment as I shrug at everyone else in the room. Her complacent nature, however, is quickly replaced with confusion. She turns back to me, still cradling Squall and looks me in the eye. "How is this possible, Fenrir?" I smile at her as she addresses me in Nibel.

"Sephiroth sent me here." The statement was concise, but it still resulted in fury erupting on the normally content face of the Ice Queen.

"_Where is he_? The Spawn of Jenova attempt to harm my Fenrir again? I'll show him the true wrath of Nibelheiman Goddesses." Shiva is a Goddess who was born at the peak of the Mt. Nibel, the coldest place on Gaia. They say the peak is so cold that it can freeze water into diamonds. This makes it odd that Shiva can be summoned here too.

"Shiva, with all due respect, how are _you_ known here? I thought you were born on Gaia?" Shiva looks confused for a moment, dampening her fury.

"My wolf, I've never told you the story of how a group of Cetra fled Gaia when Jenova came to the planet? They fled here, a then-uninhabited planet, to start over. They renamed themselves the Centra and began worshipping the strongest of the Centra, a man known as Hyne, who was a powerful Sorcerer. He created life on this planet, making them the same as they were made on Gaia. They hoped to never allow Jenova the chance to come here, so they instilled the power of magic into certain families, appearing most often in women. This magic travelled through the generations, giving the people the ability to fight Jenova should she ever come, and it still lives in the Sorceresses of the planet. This magic gave the people the ability to channel me and others here from Gaia. The magic has spread so far through the population, thinning radically before reaching a stable point where most everyone has the same amount of magic, so that anyone can summon us if they junction our spirits to theirs. However this magic is detrimental to the people using it, unless they are descended from Centra, so they gave to sacrifice their memories each time they summon us. This means that over time the true magic used to summon us was forgotten, so that it was only recently rediscovered. Now only SeeDs, like my lion here, can summon us."

It's not a hard story to believe. What I know about the Cetra is enough to tell me that the story is accurate. Still it's odd to think that this planet was more or less colonized by the same people who I fight for on Gaia. Does that mean that there is a Lifestream too? It certainly explains why we're more advanced; we've had much longer to develop. But it also means that this planet is much healthier than Gaia. I shake my head and decide to think on it later. I look back to Shiva and smile.

"Thank you for the story. I'll summon you later, okay?" She smiles back and nods. I slowly bring her back into the materia as she fades away from her place holding Squall. Squall straightens up and looks back to me with a look of understanding on his face. It's reassuring to know that we're cut from the same cloth at least.


	4. Break In

**Another one? O_o wow. **

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Break In**

The rest of the tour was rather uneventful. In fact, we didn't even meet any other people to introduce me to. Slowly each person dropped off, leaving only Squall and I walking through the halls. In the end, as the sun had already set, I was lead to a room for the night. It was furnished, but something about it seemed to upset Squall. He mentioned that I shouldn't go through the closets, and that the original tenant had already left, but their stuff remained. It sparked curiosity in me and as soon as Squall had left, telling me he'd come to get me tomorrow morning, I walked over and opened the closet. There were boxes of personal effects and plenty of nice clothing. Three trench coats stood out most clearly, however, as the bore the same insignia that Seifer wore on his coat. In fact, the coats were exact replicas of Seifer's coat. Which meant this was Seifer's room. How pleasant.

I sigh softly to myself and decide to worry about it later. Now at least I can take a shower and try to sleep. I know without a doubt that I _won't_ sleep, not in unfamiliar territory, but I can try. So I walk into the bathroom, a very nice one at that, and survey the area. There are several types of expensive hair gel and aftershave. There's a thin layer of dust over everything, but it's nothing to worry about so I slowly remove First Tsurugi and lean it against a wall. I frown at the lack of blinding gleam from the sword, meaning I need to polish it. I roll my eyes and begin to strip. First comes the sword harness, then the belts, and it all ends with the gloves. I fold everything and leave it on the counter, after I brush the dust away first of course. I slip into the shower and start it up. The water is instantly hot, not taking any time to heat up. I figure it runs the same way that _The Shera_ does, heating the water near the engine.

The water is much cleaner than anything I've ever felt, the innocence of the planet humming in the water. I'm not surprised to be feeling this planet's power too, in addition to Gaia's, it probably has to do with the Cetra and Centra. I'm just beginning to relax when I hear a foreign sound. Immediately my senses are tuned in. How is it that I'm always interrupted just when I'm comfortable? I sigh regretfully and shut the water off. I grab a towel, shake the dust off, and wrap it around my waist. I open the door quietly, leaving First Tsurugi in its place, I can use my hands if need be. I walk through the bedroom and out into the living room of the apartment, and there was my visitor. Standing in the middle of the apartment, holding a burlap sack, is Seifer. His eyes meet mine and I can see him freeze. There is near terror in his eyes, but his face keeps a smooth, trained mask of indifference.

"What are you doing in my place?" I'm surprised to hear no tremors in his voice, but that doesn't mean he isn't scared.

"Squall told me to stay here for the night. And considering you're a wanted man, I'm surprised you're here. How'd you get on the ship anyway?" Seifer shrugs slightly without his eyes leaving mine.

"Secret."

"Hn. Well secret or not, get what you need. I'm not involved enough to rat you out," I say with the most reassuring voice possible. He relaxes slightly and moves to start throwing stuff into the sack. I watch in fascination as he grabs knick-knacks lying about and not-so-gently drops them in. He walks into the bedroom with me following close behind. He walks right over to the closet and starts yanking clothes out. He stuffs them into the sack and ties the top in a knot before slinging it over his shoulder and turning back to me.

"_What_?" I can't restrain the laugh as he looks at me indignantly. He's pretty cute for a strong-looking guy. He only grows angrier as I laugh at him. He stalks forward, forgetting that I'm much stronger. He starts to poke at my exposed chest and his cheeks are flushed with anger. I smirk and grab his hand, making that flush drain quickly to fear. I grab his arm, turn my back to the bed, taking him with me, and flip him over my shoulder and onto the waiting mattress. Before he can move, I turn back around and pin him down, consequently letting the towel hang loosely around my waist, threatening to fall.

Seifer is looking side to side in confusion, sporting a new embarrassed blush now. It's probably the fact that he had a more or less naked, somewhat androgynous, and extremely powerful man pinning him to his own bed. I smirk down at him as the blush turns crimson and he shivers slightly in what I'd call arousal. I hold down a shiver of my own as my mako kicks in and makes the whole situation seem much more sexual. Seifer doesn't even try to speak as I lean down and kiss him right on the lips. Yep, definitely too many drink with Reno. I slip my tongue past his frozen lips, mako running wild in my veins. He lets himself be kissed for about two minutes before shoving at my shoulders. Knowing when to call it quits, I let him go and roll onto my back. He sits up looks at me in confusion, anger, and obvious pleasure before getting up, grabbing the forgotten bag, and running out the door.

I watch him go with a smile of my own. I know he'll either be back later or I'll see him again soon. It's been awhile since I've moved on pure instinct. The mako libido must be getting to me.

The sound of my PHS is enough to startle me out of my trance. I walk back into the bathroom and fish through my pockets. I pull out the buzzing object and lift it to my ear.

"Strife."

"Cl-zz-oud-zz?" -_Cloud?_- My eyes grow wide at the static-filled sound of Tifa's voice. I pull the phone away from my face and look at it like it was venomous before bringing it back.

"Tifa? Are you there?" I cringe at the sound of static on the line.

"Yes-zz, Clou-zz-d. Wh-zz-ere are you? I thi-zz-nk this new –zz- pho-zz-ne ser-zz-vice isn't go-zz-ing to w-zz-ork either. It's-zz too expens-zz-ive any-zz-way." -_Yes, Cloud. Where are you? I think this new phone service isn't going to work either. It's too expensive anyway.-_ She's talking about how we just switched to a new service after our old one wouldn't work in certain places, unhelpful as I'm always going to these places for work. We switched to this one only a month ago.

"Tifa, this phone service will work fine. Trust me, interplanetary service is worth the price."


	5. Two Years

**Here's a small Cloud/Seifer update. I'm being realistic here about time frames between planets by the way, it wouldn't be like two weeks for either of them. If you don't understand what I mean by that, you will by the end. Ok I am SO pissed off at this ff . net box for editing type. It always screws with my alignment! I try to center something and it always ends up left justified. UGH!**

**The Cloud/Seifer action may seem random, but trust me it has a point and an explanation.**

**I TRIED so hard to keep this a one POV story, but I couldn't! So hard. **

**Clockwork Phoenix - **:D It's like this with new stories for me. Quick for awhile before slowing down. Hopefully shorter chapters will keep it coming. I'm glad you like things so far.

**Dragi - **Yep interplanetary service is pretty nice. And Sephy will be coming back into the picture soon. :D Then we shall see his dark motives. As for pairings... I'm not sure of all of them yet, definitely Cloud/Seifer/maybe Squall. I'd like to see Tifa/Zell too, or something like that because they kind of suit each other. Irvine/Selphie maybe, mostly cause I can't see either with anyone else. But from there I have no clue yet. :D

**_Cursing in this chapter._**

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Two Years

"In-zz-terplane-zz-tary se-zz-rvice? What –zz- are yo-zz-u talking abo-zz-ut Clo-zz-ud?" _–Interplanetary service? What are you talking about Cloud?- _The static was really starting to get to me after a while.

"Yeah, I'm on a different planet. Sephiroth is up to something. Could you talk to Cid or go to Aeris' church to find a way back for me?" It was worth a shot asking those two. Aeris may be dead, but she's usually my best chance at finding answers. Cid, however, could physically come and get me in _The Shera_. I need to at least know a timeframe in which to plan.

"Uh, su-zz-re thin-zz-g. I'll c-zz-all you –zz- ba-zz-ck." _–Uh, sure thing. I'll call you back.- _And then she hung up, thank Shiva. My mako-enhanced ears can only take so much of that noise.

I lay the phone down and walk back into the bathroom. I let the towel go, finally, and step back into the shower. I try to hurry, using my battle training concerning hygiene to speed me up. No use for leisure, just wash and get out. However, I do slow down in choosing one of the many different scented hair products. In the end, I choose a rather interesting spicy scent, one that I'm sure Seifer cherished, or so says the three-quarters empty bottle.

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Seifer POV

Who the _hell_ was that guy and what the _fuck_ did he think he was doing in my house and kissing me? I swear to Hyne I should turn right back around and show that bitch why I'm a Sorceress Knight. Or is that "was" a Sorceress Knight? This thought makes me slow down my rapid strides and start to contemplate recent events. I may look like a brute, but I have a brain in here.

I never expected Ultimecia to stick around if it all came down; I'm just a puppet after all. But I did, however, expect she wouldn't just hightail it and leave my ass in danger. I didn't betray Squall and the Garden for nothing. I didn't _betray_ my _only_ friends, Fujin and Raijin, for _nothing_! I expected a little help, and what did I get? Squat. Now that things are starting to look clearer, I'm wondering what the _hell_ I was thinking by joining the witch. Now I'm not only alone, but I'm wanted for death. Did I really think she'd win? We were close, but I should have known Squall wouldn't give up no matter what we did. I tortured him for Hyne's sake! And don't I just feel guilty about that.

Overcome with this new guilt, I duck into a small storage closet, still in Balamb Garden. I lean against a wall and sigh to myself. What have I done? I had a home, friends, and even a reluctant family. I could have taken the SeeD exam again this year and passed, and then Squally and I would be rivals of the same rank again. It's probably the fact that I betrayed Squall that hurts the most. He was as close to a brother as I'd ever get. I need some fucking comfort.

And so I exit the small closet, turn around, and make a beeline right for my apartment. Might as well put this asshole's interest to use.

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Cloud POV

I was just out of the shower when I heard someone in the apartment again. I had to force down a smile as I realized Seifer had come back, most likely to yell at me. He's like a combination of Reno's temper and Rufus' body. This time I actually pulled my pants on, mostly for his comfort rather than mine. As I exit the bathroom, I can already see him sitting on the bed, looking at me with a scowl.

"Welcome back." It was meant to be teasing, but Seifer just stands up and makes to leave. I laugh softly to myself and grab him. He freezes and spins back around to glare at me.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You're not allowed to touch me, kiss me, or lounge around _my_ home without my permission," he growls out. I smile and cock my head to the side, a gesture that I often partake of.

"And you've just come to give me that permission, right?" It's apparently the wrong thing to say as he blushes and pulls back a hand to punch me. I just let him do it. I know it will make him feel better, at least for a minute. The blow isn't very hard, probably not even his best. My head snaps back for a moment, but I quickly turn back to him and smile. He just glares at the fact that I'm no worse for wear. "Done?"

He growls but nods. He's finally realized it's futile to try and fight me; I'm way too strong or him. I wrap my hand around his waist and drag him back over to the bed. I pull him down and more or less drag him under the sheets. He just scowls and turns on his side to look at me. I raise an eyebrow and wait for the rant to begin.

"You think you can control me? Well you're wrong pal. I may not be strong enough to kick your alien ass, but I can bitch and moan till your ears fall off. And what the hell are you doing?" I smile and roll over, grabbing him and pulling him closer. Seifer just huffs and lies in my arms, waiting for something that isn't going to happen. Sleeping with another warm body is much preferred to sleeping alone. I bury my face in his hair and inhale. He uses the same shampoo that I just used in the shower, which makes me smirk. He snorts and finally relaxes into the hold. "So you're the cuddle type. Figures."

I press a kiss to his hair and close my eyes. He follows right after and I smile softly. Something about this kid is enough to tweak at my near freezing heart. And something about him makes me comfortable. So I go into my half-sleep trance that I use when I'm comfortable enough to relax, but not comfortable enough to sleep. Seifer on the other hand, sleeps like a baby, curling closer to the mako-warmth my body puts out. He nuzzles closer in his sleep, brushing his nose along my neck. He's just cute enough to make me want him despite his masculine appearance. I usually go for more feminine men, like Squall, but Seifer just has a certain charm.

Seifer had just began unconsciously pressing his lips to my neck as my cell phone rang, waking him violently. Cursing to myself, I pick up the nearby phone and press it to my ear.

"Strife."

"Clo-zz-d? I'm at-zz the chu-zz-ch. Cid's-zz here to-zz-o. I'v-zz-e got some b-zz-ad news-zz. He sa-zz-ys it will t-zz-ake a yea-zz-r to g-zz-et to you-zz. And –zz- a yea-zz-r to ge-zz-t back. So tw-zz-o yea-zz-rs be-zz-fore you're h-zz-ome. Aeri-zz-s says-zz she can-zz-'t help either." _–Cloud? I'm at the church. Cid's here too. I've got some bad news. He says it will take a year to get to you. And a year to get back. So two years before you're home. Aeris says she can help either.-_


	6. Necessary Plans

**Ok so I lied about Modern Warfare, I haven't finished with it. It'll be updated, but when I don't feel like writing something it's like pulling teeth and I'm never happy with it. **

**I'd address reviews right now, but I'm a Floridian getting hit with Hurricane Ida's feter bands. The sky is dark and I can already feel it getting ready to open up and smite us all. :D So I'll get reviews next chapter. Time to power down the PC.**

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Necessary Plans

I made sure to keep the call short, given the pissy and slight jealous look Seifer was already giving me. Being woken up was bad enough, being woken up only to have your bed partner on the phone with a strange woman was worse, so I figured I better finish up. I told Tifa to wait for my call, no need to have Cid rushing off the planet to save my ass. I hang up the phone and drop it on the bedside table. Seifer is propping his head up on his arm and scowling. I smile in an attempt to placate him and kiss his forehead.

"Calm down. It was just a friend from my home planet. She says I'll be stuck here for awhile. Get used to me." Seifer rolls his eyes and turns over again, letting me spoon his back. I nuzzle my way into the place between his head and shoulder, rubbing against his neck. I slowly press open mouth kisses along the area, using all my seduction tactics to calm him down. And while I know I'm good, I'm surprised to see him comply, baring his neck further.

"I'm not into guys, you know. You get one shot at this, make it worth it." I pause in my movements long enough to whisper in his ear.

"I'm not going all the way. Not now." This isn't something that pleases Seifer, who rolls over and stares at me in confusion and slight hurt.

"Why not? I'm not good enough for you?" I frown at his hurt, carefully concealed under his angry tone. I can hear a deep fear of rejection inside this boy's voice. How hard must life have been on him? Feeling concerned, I reach out and put a hand on his cheek, softly pulling him forward.

"Seifer… I don't use people. Not even people I've just met. I'll hold you, I'll sleep with you, I'll even kiss and pet you, but I won't have sex with you until you're in it for more than a quick, self-depreciating lay. I don't even need love, all I want to see is emotion." Seifer's eyes widen in the low light of the room, looking at me astonished.

"That's the first time _anyone_ refused to sleep with me. And that's the first time anyone has wanted _anything_ other than straight sex." He shakes his head softly and looks back at me, a small smile on his face. "Thank you. I needed that."

I nod and accept his body back into my arms as he lies down. I press a kiss to ear and whisper lightly into it. "Sweet dreams."

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Seifer POV

Is it possible someone out there wants me for a little more than just my body? For a relationship? It's nearly absurd to think about, but a very calming idea none the less. It makes the fact that I've been abandoned again, this time by Ultimecia, not so hard to cope with. I'm alone in the world from now on, I might as well stick with this guy and hope he can keep me company.

"Hey… What's your name?" Stupid, stupid, stupid Almasy. You're lying in bed with my and you didn't even get his name?

"Cloud Strife. Make a joke about girl names and I won't be able to assure you your safety." Cloud? Knowing he isn't lying about the hurting me, I hold down the prosession of snickers.

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Cloud POV

It really was a feat that he managed to stop himself from laughing, but hat didn't mean I still couldn't hear the strained and muffled giggles.

After he'd finally settled down he fell asleep almost instantly, clearly showing his need for it. I settled down again, resting my chin in the crook between his head and shoulder. I only had to move once as Seifer rolled over in his sleep to curl closer. In the end, he ended up with about eight hours sleep and I got seven hours of pure trance-time. Luckily, the trance is enough to keep me rested.

We were woken up by Squall's banging on the door at 0600 hours. Seifer more or less launched himself out of bed and towards his sword, before I grabbed him and calmed him down.

"It's Squall. Hide," I hiss into his ear. And hide he does. He wrenches the closet open and ducks to the back, behind the clothes. It actually happens to be much deeper than I first suspected, the back concealed by the length of his trench coats.

The banging picks up the pace for a moment before I hear the lock click as Squall lets himself in. Seifer is already nicely hidden, and I finish dressing, as Squall comes in.

"Is it so hard to answer the door?" I smirk at the annoyed tone of his voice. Squall seems to be the kind of guy to tell you exactly how he feels and why.

"Where are we going?" And I'm not the kind of guy to beat around the bush.

"Back to the conference room to make some plans. Has anything changed with your situation?"

"Yes, my PHS," I hold it up for reference. "Works on this planet for calling my home planet. I can only imagine that the satellites orbiting Gaia must be lined up perfectly with the satellites orbiting this one, if there are any that is." Squall nods in conformation before letting me continue. "My friend, Tifa, the girl in the picture who looks like Rinoa, called and let me know that it'll take a year for them to get here. And we'll be stuck in space a year on the way back. So I won't be getting home anytime soon. And I still need to deal with Sephiroth."

Squall seems to follow the entire story till the end. "Alright. You're welcome to stay at Balamb Garden, but we, my… friends and I, have to leave to kill Ultimecia." Not surprising so I shake my head.

"I need to leave to hunt Sephiroth. You're not quite aware of how dangerous he is. He nearly destroyed my entire planet several times. Once by summoning a meteor large enough to turn our planet into nothing but a pile of dust. Another time he infected the world with a deadly disease with no known cure. Needless to say, he was defeated, but I'm the only one on my planet strong enough to fight him for _five minutes_, let alone kill him. I'll need a very detailed map of the terrain and cities, a list of hostile areas, a small bestiary, and a short run-down on the powers and attacks of monsters I'll encounter. Your PHS number would be nice too."

Squall seems to find something worth smiling about in that sentence, most likely the idea that I want his PHS number. "Fine. We'll load you up with all of that, but can you handle yourself out there? Wouldn't it be easier to take a guide?" I consider the idea for only a second when I hear Seifer huff almost inaudibly, definitely too low for Squall to hear. Well it seems I _do_ have a guide.

"No. I'll be fine. I'd like to get moving as soon as possible as well." Squall nods and waves a hand towards the door.

"We'll have you ready to leave by the end of the day. You can set out tomorrow. Unfortunately, my friends and I have to leave tonight. The situation with Ultimecia is very dangerous. We need to bring her reign to an end, and soon."

There is such a resigned and tired sound in his voice. I turn my head and look at him directly. He's so young. "How long are your years here?" The question catches Squall off guard, but he still answers.

"Same as yours I suppose. 365 days? We were always wondering why our year never corresponded with the orbit of our planet, meaning the seasons are out of whack. If our planets were colonized the same people, that would make sense then."

I give a small nod before continuing. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen."

I was right on target with my guess, not surprising, but how young he is, is a surprise. "A little young to be a hero kid." Squall seems to start at that idea.

"Then how old are you? How old were you when _you_ became hero, because I know you are a hero." I've hit a nerve inside of him. Like me when I was first tracking Sephiroth, he doesn't want to be a hero. I frown at him in slight pity. Why does the burden always fall to those who despise it?

"I was sixteen when I first killed Sephiroth, he'd just burned my hometown down. Killing everyone, including my mother, but Tifa and I. Sixteen when I was admitted to a lab for military enhancements and tests against my will. Twenty-one, but appearing sixteen, when my best friend was shot to death by SOLDIERs he trained. Twenty-one, and finally looking my age, when I had to hunt Sephiroth, who had come back to life, down and destroy the corrupt ShinRa military, which at this time controlled the entire plane. Twenty-one when the woman I was both in love with and engaged to was killed by Sephiroth. Twenty-one when I killed Sephiroth for the second time. Twenty-three when I contracted that deadly disease. Twenty-three when Sephiroth came back a third time, and I killed him once again. Now I'm twenty-six, I stopped aging at twenty-one and I'm pretty much immortal, and stuck on a planet, whilst my friends, who are still aging, get older on Gaia. Trust me Squall, if you can get out it, do it now. The hero life isn't glamorous, fun, or rewarding, it's nothing but one hit after another."


	7. Set Forth

**I've figured myself out. I completely understand why I have so much trouble keeping regular updates. If I'm interrupted in the middle of writing a chapter, it could be days before I finish it. Which happened with this one. Fail, right? **

**Oh my family came down with Swine flu too. We survived. Woot!**

**And I'm thinking I should have set this story in the FFVII world, at least I know it enough to not have to look up where the cities are. Fail again.**

**Wow two chapters worth of reviews. Here we go...**

**Clockwork Phoenix -** I'm glad you like the multi-POV stuff, because I can't not address all the main character's views. Woot double negatives that read terribly. **  
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**Dragi - **Well I'm almost completely sure there will be Cloud/Squall, at least a little. And onesided/slightly reciprocated Seph/Cloud looks likely too.**  
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**FFVII - **:D I torture Cloud often. But he's too cute not to.**  
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**DarkBombayAngel -**I'm glad you like it so far!**  
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**Subaru - **Ok well I have my reasons for posting here rather than in the KH section. Many people, once myself included, have played KH but not FFVII or FFVIII. Which means they only know Leon and kid!Seifer. Seifer isn't very much like his KH counterpart. They have a scar and blond hair in common. I wanted the character to be true to FFVIII. I don't want you to think I didn't consider the KH and FFVII/FFVIII crossover sections. But for my story, it just fit right here. When it's done I may move it to crossovers, but right now I need the feedback I get from the FFVII section reviewers.

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Set Forth**

I kept the goodbyes short with Squall's little group. But by the time I'd gotten back to the apartment, Seifer was already curled up sleeping in bed. I was caught between a frown and a smile at the scene. On one hand, we needed to plan, and on the other, it was still early. Caught off guard by the very unmilitary perspective, I chose to indulge in a couple more hours of sleeping by Seifer's side. He instinctively curled closer to my warmth as I laid down and I ran my hand through his soft, blond hair. A couple more hours never hurt anyone.

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Squall POV**_

Shiva, how the hell can he be so damn attractive? Surely it's only a symptom of the lack of intimacy with Rinoa. There's no way I'm feeling anything for him, not like _that_. The crush on Seifer was enough for my homo-erotic experimenting. And look where that got us. Seifer's on the run and I'm his soon-to-be executioner. For his sake, I hope to Hyne he stays out of sight. I'd really rather not have to hurt him. Hyne knows that crush still simmers from time to time, if the light catches his hair or eyes the right way. Or if he calls me one of those slightly suggestive nicknames.

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Cloud POV**_

Those couple hours ended up turning into the entire day and night spent lounging around and cuddling. While the military part of my brain was disgusted, my fleeting humanity was delighted in the indulgence. Seifer didn't seem to mind either as he did nothing but nuzzle and purr all day. He didn't stay sleeping of course, but that didn't mean we moved. By the time we _did_ move, it was already the next morning, very early but still morning, and we were getting hungry.

"So we're taking off?" I smile at the question as we devour the food I'd brought home with me yesterday morning.

"Who said you were coming?" Seifer growls lightly in response as I laugh. "Alright, you can come along. Yes, we're going to go out searching for Sephiroth. We'll need to scour the land. Are you up to it?" Seifer nods through his meal and I continue. "Okay. This will give us time to get to know each other at least."

"Don't expect a fairytale."

"Never do."

Smiling, I lean over and press a chaste kiss to his lips. As I pull back, I notice he's scowling.

"Why do you do that?"

"What?"

He growls again. "Don't play dumb. The kissing. Why me? You don't know anything about me."

I lean back in my chair and look upwards, this time with a frown. I take a moment to pause before answering. "Because I find you attractive, interesting, and just angsty enough to stand my company." Seifer huffs and turns his attention back to his breakfast. I can spot a very light blush over the bridge of his nose, adding color to his face. The sight enthralls me for some reason. I lean in close again and kiss the blush, making it deepen to crimson. Ghosting over his skin, I trail downwards to his lips. They meet mine in a very passionate display of affection. Seifer doesn't hesitate to open up to my tongue, allowing me to taste the citrusy flavor of his mouth. His moan was unbelievably arousing and I fought down the temptation to take him on the table.

Overwhelmed, I pull back and smile. "We need to get out of here."

Seifer frowns and snarls a little. "Way to kill a mood, asshole." I laugh and stand up, dragging him up by the arm.

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Seifer POV**_

Of course, what does he do when I need to cool down? Drags me into a shower. With him. Dense as a rock, I _swear_ to Hyne.

At least he keeps it short, sticking to the necessary cleaning procedures. Afterwards, we pack everything important up and move out. I take that secret way out that Fujin, Raijin, and I found back as cadets. Cloud leaves through the front, carrying the gear he was given by Balamb Garden. It takes about twenty minutes, but we're left beneath Balamb Garden, in the middle of Dollet. Looks like we moved a bit, considering we boarded in Fisherman's Horizon. Cloud seems to take a look around before turning in the direction of the wilderness. Which means he intends to do the _camping-thing_. Oh great Hyne, this already looks like it's gonna suck.

"What will this way lead us to?"

"Well if we keep heading west, we'll hit Deling City. They don't like me there, but they can fuck themselves." Cloud wrinkles his nose slightly and looks at me.

"Is it big city?"

"Yep."

"Fuck, well where else could we head? He won't be in a big city."

"Well, uh, we could head south for Timber. It's a fair-sized city too, but there's a port. They don't like me there either, in fact no one likes me. But you, of course." Cloud smiles in my direction and cocks an eyebrow.

"Naturally."

"So Timber or Deling? Doesn't matter to me. But if it helps, Deling has become more or less the evil capital of the world. Maybe it was Ultimecia and I, or the shady stuff Pres. Deling was up to, but that place isn't doing great right now." Cloud perks up at the information and nods.

"Alright, we'll head there first. It couldn't hurt. So lead the way?" I sigh to myself and start walking, pulling my trench coat closer to myself, trying to both stay warm and hidden at the same time. Of course it has to be winter.

"Oh I don't know. We may have to huddle close for warmth." My head whips around to see Cloud smirking. Caught between blushing and cursing myself for muttering out loud again, I'm unprepared as he wraps an arm around my waist and walks stride-for-stride with me.

"Stop responding to everything I say, asshole." Man what a lame response, Seifer. Way to go. And what luck to have a companion as sarcastic as I am. Maybe this shit's fate or something. Like falling for a guy who will give me mental torment for as long as we're together. Which is an idea that has many different flaws. 'Falling for', implies I feel something other than lust, which I _don't_. 'A guy', I'm _straight_, or at least I thought I was. 'Mental torment', I'm Seifer Fucking Almasy. I don't get screwed with. Ever.

"Until I came along."

"Fuck you." Cloud laughs to himself and nuzzles my cheek.

"What ever you say, darling."


End file.
